To the Pokemon Academy
by Fenrik
Summary: Lena was not allowed to challenge gym leaders and travel on her own, as her parents find her to be too young, so her mother will try to follow her to Violet City and the Pokemon Academy there instead.
1. Chapter 1

**Right, so here is my first take on a Pokemon fic. I send thanks and a cookie jar to ElphieUpland who was kind to reply to PM, and give me advice.**

**Disclaimer; I do not own Pokemon.**

**Note: In this fic, Pokemon do not say their names when they speak. I just assumed, like in the games, they make a sound according to what the animal they resemble would make. So that is why Oso only speaks in "grr"s and "yarf!"s.**

In a little clearing in the Viridian Forest, just outside the city with the same name, a Pidgey stomped around on the ground, kicking up sand, in an attempt to practice its main defense mechanism. When it found a berry a few layers of sand away, it promptly stopped kicking, and rather bent down to eat the tasty treat, forgetting, it seemed, for a second, that it was probably being watched. For it was, in fact, being watched by several pairs of eyes, and not all of them could be said belonged to Pokemon.

The little bird lifted its head, watching the large tree, in which a Beedrill was tending to the large amounts of Kakuna stuck to the branches and stem. The Pidgey crowed at it, flapping its wings; this was its own territory, at least when other birds were not around. While it was occupied having this little feud with the Beedrill, it did not notice the human eyes in the squinting to get a better look, clutching a little book with worn, yellow pages in her hands.

_Right, so a Pidgey... it has small feet, smaller than the one for the level five picture... and the level four and three one as well... A level two, I suppose... It shouldn't taunt the Beedrill, then..._

A girl of age ten was crouching in the grass, daring not to move, and barely to breathe. She was studying the pidgey carefully, determining which level it would be at in its current state. From the small feet, and ruffled feathers, and of course, its small stature, she named it a level two. Mostly, Pokemon at a low level as that remained uncaught by trainers until they had grown on their own. The girl, Lena, wanted to practice her eye as a trainer, seeing which Pokemon in the wild was safe to approach, battle and then perhaps catch, given the gift her father, Matthew, had come home with last week from his trip to the Dark Cave in Johto.

For the last two – three weeks, Lena had tried to catch a Pokemon on her own, and sadly failing. She was not a natural at it, as some people seemed to be, and she nearly always missed, or the Pokemon escaped before she could say "aww, shucks."A few times, she had even been attacked by the odd rattata wanting her to pay for what she had let it go through.

Needless to say, when her father came home, she had been thrilled to see that he had brought her a Poke ball, containing a wild Pokemon. Her eyes had grown wide, and she had smiled broadly at her mother, as if wanting permission to receive it.

"Matthew," her mother said, sighing, "I thought you would only go to Dark Cave on a sightseeing trip, not to catch more Pokemon."

"I know," he said, smiling at his daughter, who was currently jumping up and down, happily awaiting to look at her present. "The opportunity presented itself, and so... I caught the little thing for her. Yes, it was just a trip with the guys, but I couldn't help myself..."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Lena jumped up and down by Matthew's feet, her shoes making clicking sounds on the kitchen floor. "Can I see what you brought me now? Can I, Mama?"

"Come on, Susie," Matthew said, still smiling, "let her see it."

"Aw, alright then."

Matthew threw the Poke ball at the floor, knowing that it would burst open on impact. When it did, a blue light shone from the red and white ball, resembling a small creature. When the light faded, it could be seen that it was a Teddiursa with its right paw in its mouth. It blinked, uncertain of what to think.

"Grr?" It said, looking questioningly at Lena, as Matthew handed her the ball. "Grr...?"

It stubbed over to her, looking her up and down. "Grr." It extended its left paw, poking Lena's cheek. They were acquainted, it would seem, as the Teddiursa smiled, showing a row of pointed teeth. _A level four!_

Lena was thrilled; she tilted her head, and looked from it to her father. "Really?" She smiled. "A Teddiursa, for me?"

Matthew nodded, handing her the Poke ball, instructing her how to return the Pokemon to it. "It is yours. I know we should have gone to Prof. Oak in Pallet Town, but you know how it is; he only hands out Pokemon to the Trainers who're going to challenge gym leaders and take on the Elite Four..."

Lena sighed. Yes, her father was quite right. Oh, how she wished she could challenge different leaders, and perhaps, one day, even the League! Sadly, though, her mother had not taken kindly to her suggestion of traveling the world alone, battling with adults on her own... Plus, she would miss a lot of school. It was from there the idea of sending her to the Pokemon Academy in Violet City, Johto, had been born. Her father had called ahead, and the persona responsible for enrollment had informed him that they were more than happy to receive Lena by the end of the summer. Susie wanted to follow her little girl, so she would not have to travel on her own.

"I will name him-" she stopped, considering something, "- For it is a him, isn't it, Baba?" When receiving the confirmation that it was indeed a male Teddiursa, she continued; "I'll name him Roosevelt, after that President in America."

Susie shook her head. "No, that won't do. Roosevelt... it is too long. Think about it, little one; when battling, is it not a bit of a mouthful?"

Matthew nodded, agreeing with his wife, even when he saw his daughter was happy with the name. As always, he tried to compromise. "Your mother is right, Lena, but you should have a name for him that you like. How about... Oso Roosevelt?"

Lena's eyes narrowed slightly; she had wanted to give him only one name. Still, disappointing her father after he had been kind, and given her a gift, was not the way she wanted to repay him. Besides, she was a little girl only wanting to please her family. "Sure! Oso Roosevelt it'll be. He'll need a last name too."

"It is settled then," Susie said, looking at the clock on the kitchen wall, over the window, "we will leave tomorrow morning for the Academy, so you'll have time to catch a few Pokemon on the way. You will need all the practice you can get, so that the school won't spend much time on the basics."

_Ah! Of course_, Lena thought, as her mother figured it was bedtime, and told her to go brush her teeth, _a requirement was to have at least three Pokemon in one's possession. Tomorrow, I will pack my bag!_

_

* * *

_

The next morning, the little girl woke up at 6 AM. According to her, she had slept for more than long enough, and though her parents were not particularly happy to have her barge into their bedroom and jump up and down in their bed, they did get up. She had already fastened Oso's Poke ball to her belt, and packed a small, cute backpack. When Susie saw it on her way to the bathroom, she instructed her daughter to pack a larger one with clothes and a pair of extra shoes instead of her doll and a box containing grapes.

Half an hour later, by the breakfast table, Susie asked her daughter if she was ready for their little journey. Lena had just finished a large second helpings of chocolate cereal, and was now munching the last of it.

"Err... I guess," she said after having swallowed, trying to sound a bit more grown and mature by pretending she was not ready to run out the door that very second. "I don't think it'll be all fun and games, though."

Matthew nodded, munching his toast. "That is very wise, Lena. I think that your time at the Academy will be somewhat tough, as well. Remember, you have to make new friends, do your maths, _and _learn how to catch and treat Pokemon."

Lena beamed, happy that she had sounded a bit more mature. She did not fully understand what her father had said, yet she was excited to go as soon as possible. After breakfast, Susie announced that Lena would have some time before they left to speak with her Pokemon, if she wished, as her mother needed to double-check all bags and jackets. Lena happily obliged, grinning at her father as she went to the backyard. She released Oso (sadly, with much difficulty, as she was not used to handling a Poke ball quite yet).

**If you got this far; thank you for reading! Please review if you so wish, and remember that I will continue to update, regardless of reviews, though they are nice to receive^^ Now then, the next chapter will be: "Socializing and Viridian Forest". Stay tuned:)**


	2. Socialising and Viridian Forest

**Right then, second instalment of "To the Pokemon Academy". I am very sorry for the late update, but I figured it would be better to give you guys a real chapter with some detailed things, instead of rushing one out. Thank you for your lovely reviews, and please review more if you so wish.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.  
Note: I was asked if I accepted OCs, and I want to inform you all that indeed I do^^ Just PM or review with the character description if you want me to include your character. I would be happy to! Sadly, I cannot promise that I will have room for EVERY single character... Though I will try my hardest. If preferable, I can inform whether your character will be in the chapter with a little note at the beginning of each chapter; just send me a PM or review. Now then, onto the story.**

"Hi there, Oso," she smiled, waving at the Teddiursa. "Are you alright?"

Oso went on sucking his left paw like he had the night before, looking questioningly at the girl in front of him, wondering what to think of her, when Lena continued. "I was just wondering... We're going off to this Academy, you see, and there we have to work our best to become good partners. Would you want that too?"

"Yarf," he replied, looking somewhat happy. "Grr?"

It would seem he was asking her what she thought (at least this was what Lena interpreted it as), and so she starting talking of her own opinion. "Well... I like the idea, and it seems like a lot of fun, but I'd rather start off by going to Pewter City and battle that leader, Brock, for a badge..."

Oso snorted. Lena's eyebrows went up; _what, he doesn't think we could do it?_ "You seem to think the same as Mama and Baba..." She paused. "Tell me; would you fight for me?"

He shrugged, as much as a Teddiursa with its paw in its mouth could shrug. He did not like or dislike Lena, after all; they had just met. Perhaps, though, they could be friends if she proved to be a kind little girl.

"No? Or are you just indifferent?"

Oso Roosevelt nodded when Lena mentioned 'indifferent'. "So I have to earn... what was it called again? Your respect? Yes. Right. Would you fight for yourself, then?"

"Grr," the Teddiursa nodded, chewing some more on his paw, clearly approving of this statement.

Lena gave thumbs up, smiling slightly. "Right then, we have ourselves a deal. Is it okay if I return you to your ball now? I think I hear Mama calling."

* * *

"Right then," she said, smiling at her husband, and daughter, "we'll need to conclude which route to take to Saffron, once and for all."

"Wouldn't it be best to take Diglett's Cave to Vermillion, like we usually do when we're shopping, and go to Saffron from there?" Matthew pointed with his finger on the map while he was talking. Lena felt excited; Diglett's Cave was full of Diglett, naturally, and though they could be frightening when appearing, they were quite cute. _I hope we'll decide on that route instead of through Pewter and Mount Moon... _

Susie nodded, slowly, tracing a line where Matthew had pointed with her pen. "It does sound like the most logical choice, as neither of us have any Pokemon knowing how make light enough for us to see... Then again, we do have flashlights... I was thinking we'd spend a day or two in Cerulean, you see," she added, winking at Lena, "Misty and her sisters are performing this show, and I think your daughter would want to have a look."

"I want to go through Diglett's Cave and Vermillion, though," Lena tilted her head. "Can't we go to Cerulean too, or is it far off?"

Susie shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee. "Mm, nicely brewed, Matthew... No, it isn't far off at all. I think we have come to an agreement, little one. We'll go the show as well," she sent her daughter another wink, "though I do expect you to be on your best behavior!"

An eager nod came from the girl, promising that she would be good. She figured that getting through the Viridian Forest would be quite simple, as they were residents of the city with the same name, and so knew the right paths to take.

An hour later, Lena and her mother said goodbye to father and husband at the gate before the Forest. Matthew kissed his wife, handed her two Poke balls, and headed home after hugging his daughter.

Lena wondered what the Poke balls contained, and if the Pokemon inside would be her mother's. She asked her mother this as they started on the first path up the Forest, keeping good on the path and not straying into areas where wild, and potentially aggressive Pokemon might appear.

"Oh, these?" Susie smiled. "Yes, I can see it on you; you think these are my Pokemon, and they are. I caught them when I was younger, a bit older than you, in fact."

Lena smiled, cracking a twig underneath her shoe as they walked. "Wow, did you go for the gym challenge, Mama? What Pokemon do you have?"

Susie shook her head. "No, I did not. I was content with staying here. In later years, though, I have started thinking of challenging that Brock from Pewter... As for what kinds, I do have my loyal Shake, who is a Spearow, and-"

"Hi there! Yeah, you two! Mother and child!"

Just as Susie was about tell Lena about the second Pokemon in her team, a voice shouted from the right side of the path. It was not easy to see who was speaking, through the bushes and tall grass, not to mention the trees, but both Lena and Susie squinted, and managed to get a sight of the owner of the voice when he came onto the path.

"Hi," repeated the man, smiling. He was carrying a net, and a little bag in his hands. He was wearing a large-brimmed, straw hat, and blur shorts. "Are you heading to Pewter?"

Susie's eyes narrowed, and she placed a protective hand on Lena's shoulder. "Perhaps we are. Why do you ask?"

The man shrugged. "Just wondering if you were trainers..." He rummaged through his shorts, and pulled out a little plastic card, flashing it before Lena and Susie. "I'm a Bug Catcher, as you can probably tell by my net and attire... My name is Carl, and I would like to battle."

Lena's eyes widened. This was the first time she had ever been asked to battle, and though she felt the statement was more directed towards her mother, she responded. "Oh, that would be great!"

Her mother raised her eyebrows at her. "Lena! You and Oso have never trained together; there is no way I am letting you battle this man... Perhaps, though," she added, as if realizing something, "I might be persuaded to battle him myself."

The little girl was obviously disappointed, but a demonstration of her mother's Pokemon would be alright for her too, it seemed. _Mama is right_, she thought, weighing Oso's Poke ball in her hand, _Oso and I have never even tried fighting a dummy...Will we get to do that at the Academy?_

Carl the Bug Catcher looked delighted. "Ah, fantastic. A man must earn his livings, as you know. One Pokemon each, then? Yes?" He waited for the confirming nod from Susie. When he had received it, he retrieved a Poke ball from his little bag, and threw it on the ground."I choose my Caterpie!"

A flash of light came as the ball opened where it landed, and a Caterpie appeared, its antenna wavering. Susie pushed her daughter a bit away, before throwing her own Poke ball to the ground, revealing Shake the Spearow.

Carl did not waste much time, it seemed to Lena, as he shouted a command to his Caterpie. "Slow the bird down with a string shot! Just because it has a type advantageous to yours, doesn't mean we can't slow it down!"

"Shake, create a gust of wind!" Susie said, smiling, as the Spearow obeyed, flapping its wings vigorously. A great whirlwind blew the Caterpie's sticky strings over its own body, making it unable to move much. Shake the Spearow marched promptly up to the the bug Pokemon and attacked it with his beak. The Caterpie squirmed, making small squeaking noises. Carl sighed, and returned it to the its Poke ball.

"You win, then, I guess," he sighed again. "Here's half of my savings," he handed Susie a few coins and a note, "have a great trip, wherever you are going!"

And with that he turned, and went off in the direction he had come from, seemingly unhappy with his loss, but perfectly able to accept that he had to train a bit harder with his Pokemon before he could be able to beat that particular trainer.

Lena jumped up and down, smiling widely. "Mama! That was fantastic!"

Susie smiled. "Seems I've still got it, yeah... " She checked her watch. "Let's get going out of this Forest, and I will tell you about why my Shake won this battle."

**So that was it; tune in for the next instalment, titled "Training outside Pewter, and Diglett's Cave".**


	3. Training, and Diglett's Cave

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.  
Note: Hi there! Thank you all so much for following, reviewing, and adding my story to your favorites (some of you did that, and I thank you.) As you know, I enjoy reviews, though I will update regardless. I am sorry for not being able to update very often, but I want you to know that I have it all planned out, and there will always be a new chapter in the making. Special thanks to ElphieUpland (Yes, you may steal my chapter virginity^^), DarkVestroia2 (one of your characters is appearing in the next chapter!:), Silver Don (I really appreciate your review!), dogperson13 (I thought she was annoying too. That is why I *cracks knuckles* decided to... do something about it; thanks for the heads up! Your character will be incorporated, as I thought it was a great suggestion!) and misty4ever (It means a lot to me to read that, you know, and I am glad you are enjoying my story!) *out of breath* There we go. Onwards to the story, brave men and women.**

Before long, mother and child were out of the Viridian Forest, ready to take on Diglett's Cave. Lena had been asking quite a lot about her mother's Pokemon, learning that the second one in her team, next to Shake the Spearow, was Strike, a sleek Furret. After the battle with Carl the Bug Catcher, when Lena had explained why Shake had won, Lena had been allowed to try to determine the level of the two, as she and her mother emerged out of the Forest, and into the gateway that lead to the field before Pewter City. Sadly, she had not been able to determine the level of either one of them, and so her mother had smiled and said that she would learn more about it when she started attending school.

"I have never been able to see that with my eye only," Susie confessed, as she led her daughter by the hand through the gate and onto the little road. "It takes years of practice, I think, and most people use either a Pokedex or Pokegear to scan a Pokemon to see its level."

"A Pokedex?" Lena said, tilting her head. "Isn't that what that Professor Oak gives to trainers if he trusts them?"

Susie shrugged. "Yes, it is. The Pokegear is different, though; it even has a phone, and a map! Sadly, we don't have either in the family. We stick to the good, old map."

Lena nodded in agreement, thinking that she would probably had done a better job at determining levels if she had consulted the book she carried with her most of the time. It was in her backpack, and she got the urge to ask her mother whether it would be okay to let Oso out of his Poke ball, when a small Rattata jumped out of the grass before them, snarling, its tail wavering.

"Ah!"

Susie jumped back, thoroughly surprised at the suddenness of the attack, but she knew what to do; she had seen it happen countless times on TV, after all. A Pokemon would appear from somewhere in the grass, or hill, cave or ocean, and the trainer would throw his or her Poke ball, and the Pokemon would battle. This was exactly what she intended to do.

"Let me handle this, Lena," her mother said, readying Shake's Poke ball. To Susie's surprise, though, Lena was already two steps ahead of her. This time it was her turn, she felt. Her mother was always there to 'handle things' for her, but this little Rattata (seemingly, the little girl had forgotten the time she was mauled by three of them ganging up on her) posed no particular threat.

Oso's Poke ball opened on the ground, and the little Teddiursa emerged from it, snarling back at the Rattata. The Rattata moved around Oso, its tail swishing to either side; it was trying to intimidate its opponent. "Eh... Oso, would you... scratch at it?"

Even though Lena seemed to have no idea what to do in a battle, Oso seemed to have at least some clue. He flung himself at the little creature, his claws scratching furiously at it. The Rattata lunged at him in a tackle, trying to knock Oso down, but the Teddiursa stood his ground. Finally, or so Lena thought, Oso seemed to had had enough. He took his right paw out of his mouth, and gave his opponent one last blow. The Rattata bounced back, three red streaks on its back. It skittered away into the tall grass before Oso could even snarl at it.

"Grr!" He said happily, turning to Lena and lifting his paw as if to high-five. Lena complied, a big smile on her face as she touched her hand to his paw. Oso nodded, seemingly quite happy with his own doing.

Lena grinned from ear to ear. "Great job, Oso! I knew you could do it!"

Oso sniffed, as if to tell her that she had certainly not thought anything of the sort. After he promptly sat down on the ground, he stuffed his right paw into his mouth, munching happily on it.

"Good job, both of you," Susie said, nodding. "You seem to be better at this than I thought, Lena." She sighed. "Though you should probably have let me have-"

Her daughter couldn't hold it in any longer. "Mama. Would you listen to me... and Oso," she added, "for a little while? I think we just showed you that we're capable of taking care of ourselves... at least until we get to the Academy."

Susie looked at her little daughter, her mouth open in surprise at what the girl had just said. "But... there are so many dangers..."

On the inside, Lena quivered. It was not easy standing up to her mother, and she felt bad about having to say what she meant in this way. Her mother only loved her, she knew that, but sometimes, such love could be quite smothering. Her bad conscience was suddenly broken by a small thought; _...well, Baba often calls her a control freak behind her back when he wants to poke fun at Mama... _She shook her head quickly. "Yeah, but Oso knows how to take care of himself, and I think he knows how to take care of me too, if he wants to... And more importantly," she added, "I feel I can take care of myself until I get to the Academy."

Her mother looked from Oso to Lena. Then she rubbed her eyes with one hand. "Thank you for telling me, little one... Though you are not so little anymore, I think. I'll let you go on your own, then." She smiled. "After all, if other mothers can send their children off on a whole journey without considering the dangers, I think I can send you to Violet City at least."

Lena beamed. "Thanks, Mama! I was hoping you would see it that way, and don't worry; I'll remember all the safety rules, and I won't battle Pokemon or Trainers who are much stronger than me."

"Perhaps it would be best if you didn't battled at all," mumbled Susie as she handed Lena the map. "Call once you get to Vermilion, alright? And," she added, her eyes kind,"be happy."

Lena hugged her mother goodbye. "I will. I promise to call when I get to Cerulean, and Saffron too."

And with that she turned to Oso to return him to his Poke ball, and waved to her mother as she stepped into the grove where the entrance to Diglett's Cave was. Now she was on her own.

* * *

Diglett's Cave seemed to Lena bigger and scarier than before. Without Baba or Mama there, it was as if something was lurking behind every corner. She felt very alone in there, no Trainers seemed to be passing through. Not even Bug Catchers. _Then again, why would Bug Catchers venture into a cave? _She shrugged. _Other than to look for Paras, of course... _ Other than that feeling of being very alone, she was somewhat glad she had stood up to her mother. Susie was always there for her, but she had to realize that she wasn't two years old anymore. Many girls went on adventures through every region when they were ten years old; boys too. So it was important for Lena to tell her mother that yes, she would go to the Academy, but she wanted to do it alone if she had the chance.

A thought suddenly came to her mind as she walked past a sign (which that she shouldn't step on bumps on the cave floor, as it could be Diglett sleeping); why did she not just release Oso from his Poke ball? That way, they would both get the fresh air (_well, as fresh as the air in a cave can be_, she thought) and get to know each other a bit better.

Lena dropped the Poke ball to the cave floor, and it opened. Oso stretched, and then tilted his head, looking at her. "Grr?"

"What?" She replied, tilting her head too. "I wanted some company, and we're on our own now. Isn't that okay?"

The Teddiursa shrugged. He seemed happy to trot along beside her, and before long, she started talking to him, telling him of what she expected of life at the Academy, when they finally got there. It seemed like an endless journey there, and she was not at all certain if they would make it. Then again, hundreds of boys and girls had before her, so chances were good that she would manage too, without breaking down and sobbing after her parents.

After about an hour and a half of walking through the torch lit tunnels, Lena decided it was time for a little stop. She stopped by a torch on the wall, taking off her backpack and stretching forwards to straighten her back. Oso pointed at her with one paw, tilting his head again.

"Gaw."

Lena sighed. "What now? Haven't you seen anyone stretch before? Baba says one should always stretch ones back and legs when out walking. Perhaps you should, too?" When he shook his head, she shrugged too, and dug in her backpack for some snacks.

Oso sat down on the ground, taking the peanut she offered him, and watched her go about her activity. Soon they would have to get going again.

**Thank you for reading^^ A bit boring, I know, but the next one is a bit more action filled, that I can promise. Please review if you so wish, and tell me what you thought. Tune in for the next chapter; Out of Diglett's Cave, and Vermillion**


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